The Age of Persuasion

with Terry O'Reilly

Next season starts January 4, 2010

It's dedicated to you...

The much anticipated book, The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture - dedicated to CBC Radio listeners- is now available in fine book stores across Canada!

"The ad men behind CBC Radio’s The Age of Persuasion combine lively social history and years of industry experience to show how the art of persuasion shapes our culture.

Witty, erudite and irrepressibly irreverent, The Age of Persuasion provides a hugely entertaining - and eye-opening - insider’s look at the ever-expanding world of marketing. "

To find a store near you or buy online click here.

And if you're in the Toronto area, you might want to check out this event: Thursday Nov 5th, 7pm, at the Metro Toronto Reference Library,
Terry and Mike will read from The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, and stay for book signings. Copies will be available for sale.

To see more photos from the launch, visit the Facebook page

From the Toronto Book Launch


Next season?

SFX: BRASS FANFARE & OUT

[slight reverb under:] We couldn't be more pleased to announce that The Age
of Persuasion is returning for its fourth season on CBC Radio One, and
Sirius Satellite 137.

We invite you to gather 'round the wireless for the season premiere
beginning Monday, January 4th, '10, in the time slots occupied this fall by
our friends at White Coat, Black Art.

Until then, Terry and Mike will be busy persuading folks to check out their
book: "The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture," to be
published on 27 October by Knopf Canada.

Watch this space for more details, while we put on some fresh coffee and
fire up the ol' AOP console.

* * * * *


Season 3: “The Myths of Persuasion”

Broadcast Dates: September 5, 2009
Original Broadcast Dates: Monday 4 May 2009 11:30 am, Saturday, 9 May 2009 4:30 pm

In a society whose only real knowledge of the ad business ranges from Darren Stephens in Bewitched to Don Draper in Mad Men, a few misconceptions are bound to crop up. This week, Terry O’Reilly tackles some common myths surrounding the ad business, including the Myth that advertising steers behaviours and trends, the myth that any publicity is good publicity, and the myth that advertising is about spontaneous ideas.

Listen to this episode as streaming audio (runs 27:30):


Season 3: “The Real Deal: Authenticity”

Broadcast Dates: August 29, 2009

The secret to Tiger Woods’ success as a golfer is that he can make a golf ball soar, spin, curve- heck, he can make it deal cards if he wants to. But what’s the secret to Tiger Woods as a brand? It’s authenticity. This week Terry O’Reilly explains the importance of a brand living up to its promise- of actually being everything it says it is. Terry will even summon the courage to tell of his riveting childhood disillusionment after ordering a family of Sea Monkeys from a comic book.

Listen to this episode as streaming audio (runs 27:30):


Season 3: “Big and Small”

Broadcast Dates: August 21, 3009
Original Broadcast Dates: Monday 13 April 2009 11:30 am & Saturday, 18 April 2009 4:30 pm

For more than a century, advertisers have fallen to the lure of hyperbole: over-inflating the importance of their brand. They made cheap currency of claims such as bigger, faster, stronger, better-tasting, harder-working, brighter, softer, newer, more-economical and longer-lasting. As Terry O’Reilly points out, some very small help is on the way. A newer, better, smarter generation of advertisers are finding ways to leverage the ‘smallness’ of their brand, and still get noticed without hyperbole.


From the classic Volkswagon Campaign

Listen to this episode as streaming audio (runs 27:30):


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